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Nashville salutes Medal of Honor recipients

Kristen Kindoll, For Williamson
Published 11:01 p.m. CT July 14, 2015

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President Barack Obama posthumously bestows the Medal of Honor for Army Pvt. Henry Johnson to New York National Guard Command Sgt. Maj. Louis Wilson during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, June 2, 2015.(Photo: Carolyn Kaster / AP)

More than 25 Medal of Honor recipients will be in Nashville next month to speak about character development and the six qualities represented by the medal.

A free town hall event will take place from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Aug. 7 at First Baptist Nashville (108 Seventh Ave. S.), offering a platform for the community to learn about what it means to have true character.

The highest award for valor in action against an enemy force is bestowed upon an individual in the Armed Services of the United States (per the Congressional Medal of Honor Society). The Medal of Honor recipients exemplify courage, citizenship, commitment, sacrifice, integrity and patriotism.

The upcoming Nashville Salutes events — a series of town hall forums, a gala and parade — are designed to make the public more aware of the Medal of Honor, but also help people understand what it is to be an MOH recipient.

The goal of Nashville Salutes is to raise $500,000 for the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation to support and continue work on its free Character Development Program, a middle- and high-school curriculum that uses living testimonies from survivors to help “build character and promote responsible citizenship.” The MOH Foundation wanted to translate the award’s core values in a discernible way for children.

“The idea to bring the MOH recipients to Nashville was [Lieutenant General (Ret.)] Dennis Cavin’s,” says Barry Jacobson, co-chair of Nashville Salutes. “After attending four events over the years, he felt Nashville would be a wonderful place to honor these greatest of American heroes.”

First Baptist Nashville was “beyond excited” to host a town hall meeting.

“For those that love our country and appreciate our military and their service, this would be a valuable time to not only show support but to hear living history, stories many of us have only read about,” says Lori Towns, assistant to the executive pastor of First Baptist Nashville. “It helps us understand more keenly the sacrifice or our current military personnel, as well as to engage in history from honorees representing WWI, Korea, Vietnam and Afghanistan.”

In addition to the First Baptist event, the Nashville Salutes weekend will include other town hall forums and area school visits. The Friday evening show at the “Grand Ole Opry” also will be dedicated to the MOH recipients, who will be in attendance, and at 8:30 a.m. Aug. 8, there will be a Medal of Honor “Heroes Honoring Heroes” parade in downtown Nashville. A gala event at the Music City Center will cap off the festivities.